Reflections on Ice Ch. 08

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MugsyB
MugsyB
2,724 Followers

"Who else?"

Dylan stared at her, loving every freckle on her nose and fighting the urge to kiss every one of them, while they stood in the hall. He cleared his throat. "Would you like to come in?"

She nodded and stood aside so he could unlock the door. They walked in and Dylan led the way, turning on lights and showing her the kitchen and living room.

"This is a really nice place, Dylan."

Dylan shrugged as he put the pie in the fridge. It was the only place he'd lived in since coming to Dallas, and it served its purpose.

"Is this your family?" She pointed at the pictures on the fireplace mantle.

Dylan came up to her side to look at the picture. "Yeah. Mom, Dad, and my sisters, Zoe and Breanna."

"And you." She gave him a smile and shifted her finger to his face in the middle of the shot.

"That was taken right before I left for college."

"You look so young."

Dylan smiled and rubbed a hand through his hair. "I guess so. Bit more grey now."

Cassia followed the movement of his hand and nodded. He met her gaze and realized how close together they were standing. God, she smelled so good. He'd noticed at the arena earlier but hadn't been sure if she'd want him to touch her or not.

"Why are you here?"

Her eyes dropped and she folded her hands in front of her. He saw her shoulders lift as she took a breath before meeting his gaze again. "It occurred to me, after I said my piece at the arena, that you sometimes have trouble saying what's on your mind." A smile spread across her face as she spoke. "And instead of giving you a minute to recover, I just ran away. That wasn't fair."

Dylan shrugged. "It's OK."

"It's not. Not really." Cassia sighed and moved away, pacing around his living room. "Dylan, over the past few months, I've got to know who you are, and you've told me things about yourself, including your issues with talking to women."

"I've never had trouble talking to you." So often, she'd been the one to remind him of that fact, and it felt a little odd to be the one pointing it out now.

Her smile widened and she stopped in the center of the room. "Exactly, and instead of giving you a few minutes to process what I'd said, I assumed you had nothing to say to me. So I bolted."

Her words made him realize something. Was it possible that every other woman he'd struggled to connect with had assumed the same thing? That his lengthy silences meant he wasn't interested?

"So I told myself I needed to see you again, to find out if you had figured out what you wanted to say." She took a step towards him. "Because I don't think anyone else has ever given you the same chance."

Dylan shook his head, smiling himself. "You're probably right, but it's not all their fault. Uncomfortable silences don't make things easy."

"No. You're right about that."

They faced each other, smiling, and Dylan's chest started to loosen up. He moved a step closer to her.

"So you decided I had something to say and came here?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "Tristen gave me your address earlier." She let out a little laugh and lifted her hand to show him. "I thought he was giving me his number and almost kicked him in the balls."

Dylan barked out a laugh. "Me too. I wanted to punch him."

Her eyes widened. "You didn't, did you?"

"No." Dylan took another few steps, closing the distance between them, and reached for her hand. He rubbed his thumb over the writing and could feel her trembling. "Permanent ink. What a dumbass."

Cassia laughed. "It's fine. I get worse on my hands daily at the garage. There'll be something there I can wash it off with."

Dylan squeezed her fingers and looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry for ever making you think I was disappointed in you, or in what you do."

"Dylan-"

"No, you said your piece, now let me." He smiled to take the edge off his words. "It's why you're here, right?"

She smiled and nodded, remaining silent. He pulled her closer, loving the way her cheeks colored. How novel, to be the one not blushing.

"I think you're amazing, I always have." He wrapped an arm around her waist and brushed her hair over her shoulder with his other hand. "I told you ages ago that you intimidate me, and I meant it, and that has nothing to do with college or a ritzy address or your job."

Her eyes dropped and he touched her chin until she looked up at him. "You're smart, honest, kind and funny. None of that would be enhanced or diminished by a college education. That's just who you are and I've always known that."

Her face broke out in the most incredible smile. "Oh, Dylan. I'm so sorry for assuming you ever thought that. It was all my own doubts, not you. Not ever."

He couldn't hold off any longer. He kissed her. She pressed against his chest for a second, as if she wanted to say more, but he didn't let her go. He angled his head and took the kiss deeper, tasting her, and drinking in the little sound she made at the back of her throat. God, why had he gone so long without this?

When she bowed against him, letting his hold tighten around her, he eased back, letting them both catch their breath.

"You're done apologizing."

She opened her mouth but he kissed her again. "No more. It's my turn."

"Dylan, you have nothing to be sorry about."

He blew out a breath and touched his forehead to hers. "Yes, I do. I should never have listened in to your conversation with Alex and Carol."

Her head drew back, her brow creased in a frown. "Dylan-"

"I never meant to." He huffed out a laugh, feeling his ears turning pink. "I saw you go in and thought I'd join you. I thought we could have a little fun in there."

"Oh God." She closed her eyes for a second. "Instead, I found Alex and Carol going at it. And then you overheard everything after."

Dylan chuckled, because he could laugh about it now. "I can't even imagine what that was like for you to find them."

She wrinkled her nose. "It wasn't pleasant. I was worried for Carol and disgusted by Alex. And then I was just pissed at them both and only wanted to get to you."

Dylan groaned. "And then I snapped at you and accused you of using me for the wedding. Cassia, I'm so sorry. That was such a boneheaded move."

"I can't blame you for that. It was how we got started, after all."

"But everything changed after your birthday, and we both know it." Dylan squeezed her around her middle. "I wasn't pretending anymore, and I knew you weren't. I'm sorry I ever said you were."

"I know, Dylan." She kissed him and he let himself sink into it for several long moments.

"And I'm so sorry I walked out on you that night."

She let out a light laugh. "OK, if I'm done apologizing, then so are you."

He shook his head and buried a hand in her hair, holding her head as he looked into her eyes. "I mean it. I can't believe I did that. It was so rude, and I was so stupid. I mean, you were in that dress, and looked so fucking good."

Her eyes popped open wide. "Dylan. You just said the f-word."

He nodded. "Because I mean it." He moved his head, putting his lips close to her ear, grinning when she shivered as his mouth brushed the skin there. "You looked fucking delicious, Cassia."

She shuddered and tipped her head back, baring her throat to him. Dylan swallowed, unsure of what had made him say what he had, but who cared. He was hard as a rock and Cassia was so warm in his arms. And they had so much lost time to make up for.

For a while, Dylan held Cassia in his arms as he ran light kisses up and down her throat, teasing her with his tongue here and there. She jerked in his arms when he closed his lips around her ear lobe and sucked. Her fingers were in his hair, clenching tight and holding him there.

"Oh, man, that feels so good, Dylan."

Dylan smiled against her skin, pressed a kiss there and then pulled back so he could look into her eyes. "You taste fucking good."

She started to laugh. "I don't know if I can get used to you swearing so much, Dylan Samuels."

He laughed with her. "Me either. I just want you to understand how easy it is for me to say anything to you."

Her expression softened and she slid one hand to his cheek, holding her palm there. He turned his face, keeping his eyes on hers as he pressed a kiss to her wrist.

"Mmm. Anything?" Her voice was husky.

He nodded. "Anything. Such as... I love you, too."

She blinked, clearly not expecting that response. Then her eyes turned watery and she buried her face against his neck. He held her, stroking a hand over her hair, offering comfort even as his heart thundered in his chest. He'd never said those words to a woman before. Turning his face, he pressed his lips to her hair and whispered it again and again, until she lifted her head.

Tears lined her cheeks but she was smiling. "I love you, Dylan. So much."

He let out a sigh. "I know. You told me."

Her cheeks turned pink but she didn't look away from his eyes. She pulled him close, kissing him once, twice, and a third time before pulling out of his arms.

"Hey, where you going?"

She looked over her shoulder as she pulled her jacket off and her shirt, almost in one motion. Dylan gaped at her. She paused near the hall to the bedrooms, her hands on the waist of her pants. She undid the button and pushed them over her hips, leaving her standing there in her underwear, a stroke-inducing set of black lace panties and bra.

"Shit, Cassia." Dylan couldn't move his feet. He was afraid he might melt on the spot. But what a way to go. "What are you trying to do to me?"

She cocked her head to one side, her arms snaking behind her. The bra came off and Dylan's heart stopped for a full second.

She held the bra before her and dropped it to the floor with the rest of her clothes. "I'm trying to get you in bed, Dylan Samuels. Do you have a problem with that?"

He moved then, crossing the room and hauling her nearly naked body up against his chest, his mouth coming down on hers. "Fuck, no."

She giggled, for a second only, before it turned to a groan as Dylan all but dragged her down the hall to his room. There, he pushed away and started to strip out of his own clothes. She sat on the bed, lifting one foot and then the other, tugging her socks off.

"Now, that." He pointed when she stopped moving, panties still in place.

She grinned, her eyes dancing. "What happened to all your pretty words, Samuels?"

"I dropped them in the front room with your clothes." Dylan yanked his pants and socks off and crawled over her, his knees on either side of her legs. "I'm done talking."

She nodded, her expression turning hungry. Their hands collided as they reached for her panties. They were gone in another second and Dylan slid his hand up her thigh. The heat of her nearly had him seeing stars.

"Jesus, you're so hot." Dylan dragged his tongue up her neck and across her chin to her lips. "And so wet."

She shuddered. "I thought you were done talking."

He nipped her lower lip and she gasped. "Just one more thing."

Then he brought their mouths together, trapping her next gasp and loving the way her tongue slipped over and around his. Dylan moved his hand between her legs, swallowing every one of the hot little noises she made. She writhed against him, her fingers digging into his shoulders and he reveled in it. He wanted everything she could give him, and he'd take it, again and again.

When he drew back so they could both catch their breath, Dylan had moved over her, every hard inch of his arousal pressing against her inner thigh. He could feel her there, so slick and hot, while his blood pounded through his veins, all sensation centralized in one spot.

She lifted her chin, pressing little nibbling kisses to his jaw and throat, one hand sliding through his hair, her nails scraping on his scalp. He shivered and thrust his hips, hitting her in exactly the right spot, so she jack-knifed off the bed with a cry.

"Dylan!"

He looked down at her and did it again, giving her a wicked grin when she looked up at him, her eyes wide. Yes, he was surprising himself. He wasn't usually the take-charge guy, the one issuing orders or pinning the woman down in bed. But with Cassia, he was. He was the nice guy, who could pick her up when she'd had too much to drink, and the guy who could bring her to the brink and then tease her until her begging pleas filled the air.

"Please, Dylan. I need you."

And he could deny her nothing. She was his everything, and he'd spend the rest of his waking hours making sure she knew.

So he brought them together, almost blacking out at the searing pleasure of sliding inside her body. She let out a cry and wrapped everything around him, arms holding his chest to hers and her legs drawing him deeper.

He huffed out a breath and let them both simply feel how good it felt. After a moment or two, some sense returned and he lifted his head, kissing her good and hard as he pulled his hips back, before thrusting again. Something about the angle was apparently good for her because in another few strokes, she tightened all around him, her nails scoring his shoulders. He had the fleeting thought that the guys might notice next time he saw them in the locker room, but she squeezed around him and all sensible thought fled.

All he knew then was heat, soft, gliding heat, and the wild, wonderful taste of her as she kissed him. She whimpered as he continued to move, her mouth open on his neck as he shifted over her, bracing himself on the bed and thrusting deeper, and harder. His breath caught and an immense wave of sensation tightened his spine. He groaned, dropping his head to her shoulder, and rode the wave.

Later, Dylan thought he'd never be as comfortable and as sated as he was in that moment. Cassia was warm, her body soft under his arm and every inch of her smelled like paradise.

"What was the one more thing?"

He opened his eyes to see her face turned to his on the pillow they shared. "What?"

She grinned, her hands stroking up and down his arm across her middle. "Before, I said I thought you were done talking, and you said, 'just one more thing'."

He frowned as he tried to recall. "I did?"

Her laugh had no business getting him all worked up again so soon, but it did. She rolled her entire body towards him and his eyes strolled across every bare inch of her. "You really don't remember what you were going to say?"

"No. I guess I had other things on my mind."

Her mouth quirked, an adorable smile that he needed to kiss. So he did. It turned into another, and another until she was melting under him again. Not that he minded. He could handle it. He was in pretty good shape and he loved her, so he'd do it all, anything she wanted, as often as she wanted it.

****

Cassia didn't care who knew it. She loved watching Dylan play hockey. She was going to attend every damn home game next season, no matter what. The thought only gave her a second's pause and then she was on her feet with everyone else as Dylan stole the puck in the neutral zone, and headed into the attack zone. He caught the Avalanche on a change, throwing everyone off, and zipped forward. Ice scraped, the goalie dropped a pad, his glove went up, but Dylan angled the shot over his other shoulder and the net shook with the goal.

"Yeah!" Cassia screamed, clapping her hands and high-fiving the fans nearest her.

Beside her, Janis rose as well, clapping in a more sedate manner, her brow furrowed. Cassia laughed at her friend's lost expression.

"Are you having fun?" Cassia leaned close after some of the furor over Dylan's goal subsided.

Janis shrugged and smiled at her. "I know you are."

Cassia grinned, turning to seek Dylan on the bench. He was grinning from ear-to-ear, and she practically vibrated with the need to kiss him in congratulations. As a defenseman, he didn't score often, and tonight, when it mattered, it made it all that much sweeter.

It was the last game of the season, and even though the Stars had been out of the playoff race for a few weeks, she knew they wanted to go out with a bang. They'd been trailing the Avs through the last period, but now they were tied, thanks to Dylan's goal.

In the end, it went to a shootout, and Cassia was on her feet the whole time, her heart in her throat as each player took their shots. Tristen Sturgess was the hero, with the only goal in the entire shootout.

The crowd was jubilant, in spite of it being the end of the season. They cheered the team while they celebrated the win on the ice and then turned to the crowd, sticks raised in the air, as a final salute to their fans.

Cassia and Janis walked back to Janis' car, and Janis peppered Cassia with questions on the drive back to Cassia's neighborhood.

"I just don't get the rules." Janis sighed. "It's so complicated."

Cassia laughed. "You're smart, you can figure it out. With my help."

Janis slanted a look at her. "I suppose there'll be more games in the winter that you'll drag me to?"

"Oh yeah." Cassia grinned, unable to contain her happiness. She didn't care, and she knew Janis was happy for her, even if she didn't relish the opportunity for more live hockey.

"Can you drop me off at the diner?"

Janis nodded as she turned the corner onto the main road. "Sure. Is Dylan meeting you later?"

"Yeah."

A few minutes later, Janis parked along the curb out front of the Lone Star Diner. Cassia turned and gave her friend a hug.

"Thanks for coming tonight. It was fun."

"It was." Janis hugged her back. "What are you doing next weekend?"

"No plans so far. Why?"

"Well, we decided to get married in Vegas, so you and Dylan should come."

For a second, Cassia thought she'd misheard. "Did you say married?"

Janis grinned and nodded. "I'm taking your advice. I still need a maid of honor, but you won't have to wear a dress."

"Oh my God." Cassia leaned close to hug her again. "I can't believe it."

"Will you come?"

"Yes, of course I will!"

Janis laughed and pushed her off. "Awesome. I'll text you the details later."

Twenty minutes later, she still couldn't believe it. The bell rang and she turned to see Dylan hurrying up to her. He bent to kiss her, and she murmured happy sounds as he did.

"Hey." He released her, his eyes sparkling. "Did you enjoy the game?"

"It was great. You were amazing."

Dylan grinned as he took his jacket off and slid onto the stool beside her. Sally appeared a second later with coffee and two slices of pie.

"Aw, did you wait for me?" Dylan glanced at Cassia's plate as they picked up their forks.

"Yup." She clinked her fork against his. "Cheers!"

With a laugh, he dug in.

"Mmm. Good old sweet potato pie."

Dylan glanced over as she scraped the last bite off her plate and licked the fork clean. "Is it your favorite?"

"Hard to pick just one favorite." Cassia pushed the plate and fork away and reached for her coffee. "But it would be up there, for sure."

Dylan nodded in agreement as he finished his.

"Oh, I have to tell you what Janis just told me. You won't believe it."

Dylan whistled in surprise when she finished explaining. "That's exciting. Next weekend?"

Cassia nodded. "So you want to go?"

"Sure. I don't have any plans." He let out a light laugh. "Not now that the season's done."

"Aw." Cassia touched his hand. "I'm sorry you didn't make it to the playoffs, Dylan. There's always next year."

He nodded. "Yeah. We'll recover in the off-season and get together a game plan. It'll be great."

"There you go."

Cassia kept her hand on his and he turned his over to capture her fingers, which he brought to his lips for a sweet kiss.

"Have you got any other plans for the summer?"

Cassia shook her head. "No. What did you have in mind?"

He shrugged, his ears turning pink and Cassia leaned close to peck his cheek. He turned that sexy crooked smile on her and she melted.

MugsyB
MugsyB
2,724 Followers